1
|
Swinamer R, Anderson LE, Redden D, Bjorndahl P, Campbell J, Krkošek WH, Gagnon GA. Climate-Driven Increases in Source Water Natural Organic Matter: Implications for the Sustainability of Drinking Water Treatment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:11958-11969. [PMID: 38922292 PMCID: PMC11238540 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c01894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
This study presents an updated analysis spanning over two decades (1999-2023) of climate, water quality, and operational data from two drinking water facilities in Atlantic Canada that previously experienced gradual increases in the natural organic matter (NOM) concentration and brownification. The goal was to assess the impact of recent extreme weather events on acute NOM concentration increases and drinking water treatment processes. In 2023, a dry spring combined with a warm and wet summer caused NOM in the water supplies to increase by >67% (as measured by color). To mitigate increased NOM concentration, the alum dose nearly doubled in 2023 compared to that in 2022. Disinfection byproducts were elevated following the event but remained within the compliance levels. From 1999 to 2023, the two plants responded to gradual climate change impacts and brownification, with alum dose increases of between 4.1 and 8.3 times. Equivalent CO2 emissions were estimated for alum usage, which increased by 3 to 7-fold in 2023 compared to when the plants were commissioned decades prior. The plants were not only adversely impacted by climate change but also contributed to the global CO2 burden. Thus, a paradigm shift toward sustainable alternatives for NOM removal is required in the water sector, and climate change adaptation and mitigation principles are urgently needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Swinamer
- Centre
for Water Resources Studies, Faculty of Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Lindsay E. Anderson
- Centre
for Water Resources Studies, Faculty of Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Dave Redden
- Centre
for Water Resources Studies, Faculty of Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Paul Bjorndahl
- Department
of Mathematics & Statistics, Dalhousie
University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jessica Campbell
- Halifax
Water, 450 Cowie Hill
Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3P 2 V3, Canada
| | - Wendy H. Krkošek
- Halifax
Water, 450 Cowie Hill
Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3P 2 V3, Canada
| | - Graham A. Gagnon
- Centre
for Water Resources Studies, Faculty of Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Keva O, Kiljunen M, Hämäläinen H, Jones RI, Kahilainen KK, Kankaala P, Laine MB, Schilder J, Strandberg U, Vesterinen J, Taipale SJ. Allochthony, fatty acid and mercury trends in muscle of Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) along boreal environmental gradients. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:155982. [PMID: 35588838 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Environmental change, including joint effects of increasing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total phosphorus (TP) in boreal northern lakes may affect food web energy sources and the biochemical composition of organisms. These environmental stressors are enhanced by anthropogenic land-use and can decrease the quality of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in seston and zooplankton, and therefore, possibly cascading up to fish. In contrast, the content of mercury in fish increases with lake browning potentially amplified by intensive forestry practises. However, there is little evidence on how these environmental stressors simultaneously impact beneficial omega-3 fatty acid (n3-FA) and total mercury (THg) content of fish muscle for human consumption. A space-for-time substitution study was conducted to assess whether environmental stressors affect Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) allochthony and muscle nutritional quality [PUFA, THg, and their derivative, the hazard quotient (HQ)]. Perch samples were collected from 31 Finnish lakes along pronounced lake size (0.03-107.5 km2), DOC (5.0-24.3 mg L-1), TP (5-118 μg L-1) and land-use gradients (forest: 50.7-96.4%, agriculture: 0-32.6%). These environmental gradients were combined using principal component analysis (PCA). Allochthony for individual perch was modelled using source and consumer δ2H values. Perch allochthony increased with decreasing lake pH and increasing forest coverage (PC1), but no correlation between lake DOC and perch allochthony was found. Perch muscle THg and omega-6 fatty acid (n6-FA) content increased with PC1 parallel with allochthony. Perch muscle DHA (22:6n3) content decreased, and ALA (18:3n3) increased towards shallower murkier lakes (PC2). Perch allochthony was positively correlated with muscle THg and n6-FA content, but did not correlate with n3-FA content. Hence, the quality of perch muscle for human consumption decreases (increase in HQ) with increasing forest coverage and decreasing pH, potentially mediated by increasing fish allochthony.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ossi Keva
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland.
| | - Mikko Kiljunen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Heikki Hämäläinen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Roger I Jones
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Kimmo K Kahilainen
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Pääjärventie 320, FI-16900 Lammi, Finland
| | - Paula Kankaala
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Miikka B Laine
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Jos Schilder
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Ursula Strandberg
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Jussi Vesterinen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland; Association for Water and Environment of Western Uusimaa, Lohja, Finland
| | - Sami J Taipale
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Extreme Weather Events Enhance DOC Consumption in a Subtropical Freshwater Ecosystem: A Multiple-Typhoon Analysis. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061199. [PMID: 34206081 PMCID: PMC8230144 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Empirical evidence suggests that the frequency/intensity of extreme weather events might increase in a warming climate. It remains unclear how these events quantitatively impact dissolved organic carbon (DOC), a pool approximately equal to CO2 in the atmosphere. This study conducted a weekly-to-biweekly sampling in a deep subtropical reservoir in the typhoon-prevailing season (June to September) from 2004 to 2009, at which 33 typhoons with distinctive precipitation (<1~362 mm d-1) had passed the study site. Our analyses indicated that the phosphate (i.e., DIP; <10~181 nMP) varied positively with the intensity of the accumulated rainfall 2-weeks prior; bacteria growth rate (0.05~3.68 d-1) behaved as a positive function of DIP, and DOC concentrations (54~119 µMC) changed negatively with bacterial production (1.2~26.1 mgC m-3 d-1). These implied that the elevated DIP-loading in the hyperpycnal flow induced by typhoons could fuel bacteria growth and cause a significant decline of DOC concentrations. As the typhoon's intensity increases, many mineral-limited lentic freshwater ecosystems might become more like a CO2 source injecting more CO2 back to the atmosphere, creating a positive feedback loop that might generate severer extreme weather events.
Collapse
|